How hard is it to get playing time when the positions you play are filled with players such as:
- 2-time silver slugger award winner Miguel Cabrera
- All-star Carlos Guillen - Is it true that Leyland thinks he's the team's MVP?
- Magglio Ordonez - led the league with a .363 BA in 2007.
For Brandon Inge, getting playing time this season used to be due to starters getting a rest or combating brief injuries to fellow Detroit Tigers. Brandon Inge is a rare breed in Major League Baseball. Inge can successfully play third-base, catcher, and all three outfield positions.
Brandon Inge, who's in his eighth season with the club, is not used to being used as a utility player. Inge became a utility player by default with the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera. Before the deal that brought Cabrera to Detroit, the outfield in place was already stacked with high-priced sluggers, and veteran Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez already instilled as the every-day catcher.
Well, playing time just got a bit easier for the 31-year-old in his eighth season with the Tigers. The 14-time All-Star known as "Pudge" will be wearing New York Yankee pinstripes.
And besides, between playing third-base, catcher, and the outfield this season, Inge has a flawless fielding percentage with no errors! How many other people in baseball can say the same? The answer, none!
Even though Inge has a career .240 batting average, he's shown flashes in his career as a run producer. In 2006, Inge belted out 27 home runs. This potential, on top of near flawless defense as a catcher, puts Inge instantly into the echelon with other top catchers in the league.
How great is it to have the kind of flexibility that Brandon Inge brings to your baseball team? Apparently Jim Leyland and the Tigers management realized this and have decided to get the guy everyday playing time behind the plate. In turn, Inge has allowed the Tigers to upgrade their bullpen with the addition of Kyle Farnsworth.
I give those involved in this deal two-thumbs up for moving a high-priced contract of Ivan Rodriguez over to the Yankees to give a blue-collar player like Brandon Inge a chance behind the plate.
If you have a fantasy baseball team and are in need of a catcher, you might want to copycat the bold move that was just orchestrated by the Detroit Tigers and make Brandon Inge your starting catcher. If not your starter, then maybe as a backup, not only at catcher, but third-base and the outfield as well.
Besides, look at the rest of the Tigers lineup. Inge won't have pressure on him to belt out 30 homers and hit .300. He'll likely be batting ninth behind the Latino Olympic team, I mean Detroit Tigers!
12 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Todd Morse 11 months ago
This logic makes very very very little sense. The Tigers liked Inge's flexibility so much they decided to remove that aspect from his game and make him their everyday catcher! Come on.
Also, Inge has played two career games in Right Field, so it wasn't magglio holding him back.
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Shaun Copsey 11 months ago
Of course Magglio wasn't holding him back, but he's the highlight of their outfield. There's also Curtis Granderson, Marcus Thames, and Matt Joyce. Without the Granderson injury, would Inge have seen as many games as he did in the outfield this season, probably not.
Again you like the person below are being too one-dimensional. They liked his flexibility, it allowed them to move old-man Ivan and strengthen their bullpen in the process. Let's face it, Ivan is nearing the final legs of his career just like Jorge might not ever take a snap at catcher again!
Back to Inge. The flexibility allows them to not only start Inge at catcher, but also later in games to give rest to other players, whether it'd be a Cabrera or Guillen, a Magglio or Granderson. They like him for more then an everyday catcher, you missed the point. His flexibility opened up a new window for the Tigers, while everyone was all huffy-puffy about Pudge going to the Yanks, I was the only person pointing out the benefit of Inge gaining starting-status.
Ivan Rodriguez, can he even call a good game? Look at the ERA of the Tigers the past 4 and a half seasons he's been there. Besides the in-between season in Florida, look before that at the Texas Rangers. They won't miss a beat with Inge behind the plate. In fact, I believe he'll gel much better with their starting staff than Ivan Rodriguez ever did and I'll bet you'll begin to see their ERA improve.
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John Garcia 11 months ago
This season Pudge has a 4.22 CERA and Inge has a 5.32 CERA. I know there is not enough games caught by Inge to really tell but Pudge's career CERA is 0.36 better than Inge. Even if they were to continue at their career CERA's compared to this season's, Inge's pitching staff would give up about 20 runs more this season. This translates to about 2 wins for the rest of the season. This could cause the Tigers to miss the playoffs.
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Shaun Copsey 11 months ago
They're halfway there, first game, Inge starts, catches all 13 innings and Tigers win!
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John Garcia 11 months ago
Oh I meant that Pudge behind the plate just calling a game is 2 games better for the rest of the year than Inge calling a game. Not that the Tigers are only gonna win 2 more games. And I wish I saw that game. lots of offense, blown save in 9th, extra innings. Besides the errors seemed like it was a great game
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Jordan Schwartz 11 months ago
How many other people can say they have a flawless fielding percentage without any errors? The answer is not none, it's dozens. In fact, there are 24 other catchers alone that also have 1.000 fielding percentages, including Chris Snyder and Chris Ianetta, who have each played more than twice as many innings as Inge.
He's not underrated. He's rated poorly because he's a lifetime .240 hitter and has had nearly as many, if not more, strikeouts than hits each of the past four years.
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Shaun Copsey 11 months ago
You misinterpretated the point. The point was not only is his fielding percentage flawless, but it's flawless at 4 positions, no one else in baseball can say that. Sure there are players who have no errors, but have they played 4 positions, no!
Catcher is a position best suited for someone who can call a good game and play solid defense, the hitting is a bonus. Inge plays solid defense, he's underrated because of people like you who can't look past his .240 career batting average.
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John Garcia 11 months ago
If Todd didn't write that already I would have. Inge is a decent backup around the majors due to his flexibility. Last year, Pudge had one of, if not his worst, offensive years and Inge, a starting 3B then, had just as many win shares as Pudge.
Pudge is hitting significantly better this year and as always his defense is stellar. As a catcher this season, Inge is hitting only .208 with a .278 OBP so his production this season will decrease because he is the starting catcher. Let alone the extra wear and tear his body will get.
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Shaun Copsey 11 months ago
During Ivan Rodriguez' career with the Tigers, he drove in 300 runs, during that same time since 2004, Inge drove in 320 runs. Even this season so far with RISP, Inge was batting .257 vs. Ivan Rodriguez' .240, you bring up a good point about wear and tear, that's why I think the Detroit Tigers made out on the deal, Ivan Rodriguez is done!
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Todd Morse 11 months ago
Shaun, you keep contradicting yourself and think you're making valid points. Inge's best value is as a 10th man, playing 120 games in numerous positions spelling starters who need a day off, and Dombrowski just eliminated that value by placing him in a starting role. It was a terrible move and he should be back as a super sub next season or the Tigers are making a huge mistake. Moving Pudge was Dombrowski thinking one of two things - either Pudge is truly overrated and they should get him off the books ASAP, or the Tigers are done and they should get him off the books ASAP. It has nothing to do with Farnsworth or anything else, its all about running a business and cold hard cash.
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Shaun Copsey 11 months ago
Stats don't lie, with Ivan Rodriguez on the club this season, the Tigers were 54-52. So far with him gone, they are 1-1. How much are you willing to bet that with Inge playing starting catcher the Tigers will have at least as good a record if not better and for what... much less than HALF the salary? Of course it's a business, but at the same time, I'm telling you, and I'll keep telling you. They're not losing a BEAT.
Stats don't lie, let me know if they're two games over .500 when the season ends... with or withOUT "Pudge"
-GOOD DAY & HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND!
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L.J. Burgess 11 months ago
I mean, bless Pudge and all, but it's pretty well known that he'll call for smoke when he's afraid of a runner. This is something that has been grumbled about since he left Texas. I don't think he's a pitcher's catcher with men on and neither do some big-wigs in the know.
Inge, however, seems to call a pitcher's game regardless of the runners. Those stats for throwing runners out can be misleading.
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